Red Bull F1 chief designer 'kicked out' in shock exit

Craig Skinner, Red Bull Racing, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Red Bull F1 chief designer 'kicked out' in shock exit

Craig Skinner had officially resigned from his posistion

Originally written by Remy Ramjiawan. This version is a translation.

Thursday 7 May 2026 08:14

Red Bull axed their chief designer Craig Skinner despite official reports claiming he had resigned according to Dutch F1 reports.

During De Telegraaf’s F1 podcast, Erik van Haren revealed that Skinner left the team ahead of the 2026 season but not by his own choice, but after Red Bull showed him the door.

In March, it was also announced that Ole Schack, a technician who has been with Red Bull Racing for over 25 years, will wrap up his final months with the team before moving on.

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Over the past few years, several key figures have departed from Red Bull, with Schack joining their ranks last March, even though he will complete the season.

While many top talents left of their own accord, contributing to a gradual exodus, that isn’t always the case. Red Bull sometimes opts to 'select through' its staff, and Van Haren believes that’s exactly what happened with Skinner.

Skinner had been chief designer since 2022, working alongside Adrian Newey and being on the project that created the almost unbeatable RB19, which won 21 of the year's 22 races.

'Skinner was axed

According to Van Haren: "Ole Schack has been with the team since day one. He only missed three races during the pandemic and will step aside after this season. He was working even before the team became known as Red Bull, and now he wants to return to Denmark."

Skinner, on the other hand, appears to have been shown the door. Red Bull’s press release painted a neat picture: "Red Bull announces the news, leading people to think, 'Another brilliant talent is departing.'" However, in reality, he was simply let go by Mekies and his associates, though Laurent Mekies, of course, wouldn’t mention that.

Van Haren also dismisses the notion that Red Bull is an employer no one would want to work for. "It’s important to clarify this," he explains, "otherwise it might seem like everyone is just leaving the company."

F1 Red Bull Laurent Mekies